Reasonable suspicion employee drug testing by hair, urine, and nail
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Question:
Hello, I am the owner of a small business called ****** **********, LLC. We have heard rumors that some of our employees have been using illegal narcotics, specifically methamphetamines. What avenue can I pursue for drug testing my staff that will tell me for sure if they are using drugs? I am extremely concerned, as they work with heavy equipment.
**** ******** Indianapolis, IN
Answer: Hello **** we are happy to help get your employees drug tested right away. We can of course offer drug testing for reasonable suspicion. Reasonable suspicion, also known as for-cause or probable-cause testing, is usually based on individualized suspicion of a particular employee and you (as the employer) should consider documenting, objectively, facts that would suggest to a reasonable person that the employee is under the influence and in violation of company policy. When an employee is suspected of being under the influence, first hand observation should be made immediately by more than one supervisor or manager. When two or more members of management observe significant signs of intoxication, it is enough to warrant reasonable-suspicion drug testing. You might also consider checking your company’s drug testing policy to see what drug testing guidelines you have previously established.
Hello **** we are happy to help get your employees drug tested right away. We can of course offer drug testing for reasonable suspicion. Reasonable suspicion, also known as for-cause or probable-cause testing, is usually based on individualized suspicion of a particular employee and you (as the employer) should consider documenting, objectively, facts that would suggest to a reasonable person that the employee is under the influence and in violation of company policy. When an employee is suspected of being under the influence, first hand observation should be made immediately by more than one supervisor or manager. When two or more members of management observe significant signs of intoxication, it is enough to warrant reasonable-suspicion drug testing. You might also consider checking your company’s drug testing policy to see what drug testing guidelines you have previously established.
Physical signs of intoxication are: bloodshot eyes, dilated pupils, slurred speech, unsteady gait, uncoordinated movements, shakes, tremors, sweating, shivering, fidgeting, sleeping at work, difficulty staying awake, unusual body odor or breath, deterioration in appearance or grooming. Behavioral signs of intoxication are attendance problems, decline in performance, being withdrawn from others or secretive, borrowing or stealing money. Psychological signs of employee drug abuse are unexplained changes in personality or behavior, sudden mood swings, irritability, angry outbursts, inappropriate laughing, fear, paranoia, inability to focus or concentrate.
Once you have documented the need for drug testing, call us and we will get your employee(s) registered for a reasonable suspicion drug test. We offer reasonable suspicion drug testing as a urinalysis, hair , or nail test. The most common panels we use for a reasonable suspicion drug test is the 5 panel, 5 panel expanded opiate, and ETG alcohol test.
A five panel drug screen tests for: amphetamines, methamphetamines, ecstasy, MDA, cocaine/metabolites, marijuana, opiates (codeine, morphine, heroin metabolite), phencyclidine (PCP). The extended opiate five panel includes amphetamine, methamphetamine, ecstasy , MDA, cocaine/metabolites, marijuana, opiates (codeine, morphine, heroin metabolite) phencyclidine (PCP) , hydrocodone (Vicotin), oxycodone, hydromorphone, and oxymorphone.
Drug testing for reasonable suspicion should almost always include testing for alcohol.
The standard urine alcohol test, with a detection time of about 1 to 8 hours can be added to your drug panel for only a few dollars. We also offer ETG testing, which is available in urine, hair and nail testing. An ETG test will test for ethyl glucuronide, a metabolite of ethanol, and a marker for alcohol consumption. We typically order more hair ETG tests than the others. A urine ETG test will have a look back of up to 80 hours. A hair ETG test has a look back of an estimated 90 days (longer for body hair collection). A nail ETG test has an estimated look back of 3-6 months for fingernails and the possibility of a 1 year look back for toenails.
Test results for these drug screens will typically take between 1-3 business days for a urine test, 3-5 business days for a hair or nail test. Once we get the results in, we will email the results to you and will be available for any follow up questions that you might have. If you are interested in registering your staff for a reasonable suspicion drug screen, please call us at 618-505-0364.